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JABEZ GORHAM OF PLYMOUTH, MASS., AND HIS 

DESCENDANTS. 



1. Captain JOHN^ GoRHAM, maraed Desire Howland, in 1643. (See 
Register, ante, vol. 52, page 358.) 

2. .James'- Gouham (JoJiu^), born iu Marshfield, Apr. 28, 1650, married 
Hannah Huckius, Feb. 24, 1673-4. He died in 1707. She died Feb. 13, 
1727. (See Register, ante, vol. 52, page 358.) 

3. .Jabez" Goriiam (James,- John^) was born in Barnstable, Mar. 6, 
1690-1. The Gorham notes in Otis's " Barnstable Families " state that he 
married, Nov. 15, 1749, Mary Burbank of Plymouth ; but the Fairfield, Conn., 
records show that he was dead previous to Mar. 5, 1739, ten years before 
he was said to have married Mary Burbank. " He owned land in Fairfield 
in 1721 " (Miss Louise Tracy's Gorham notes). In 1727, he sold land to 
Shubael Gorham of Barnstable, and in 1728, sold land to liis brother Sylvanus 
(Fairlield and Stamford, Conn., Records). " Jabez Gorham renewed the 
covenant with his wife Molly, Feb. 8, 1733." (Green's Farms, Fairfield, 
Records.) Sylvanus'^ Gorham, brother of .Tabez,^ died in Stamford, Conn., 
before Sept. 1, 1747, leaving no wife or cliildren. In the settlement of 
his estate is the following item : " To the legal representatives of -Jabez 
Gorham, deceased, £132/19/9." " David Gorham, son of Jabez (:^orham 
late of Fairfield, chose .Joseph Gorham, of Fairfield, Conn., to be his guardian, 
INIarch 5, 1739." (Book 6, Fairfield Records.) The foregoing record shows 
that Jabez" Gorham was dead in 1739. The marriage records of his uncle 
Jabez"^ (John^) and of his cousin .Jabez" (Jabez-), as well as that of .Jabez* 
(Joseph," Jabez-) who was born Mar. 22, 1718, have previously appeared 
in the Register. Having eliminated all of the early Gorhams bearing 
the name Jabez, excepting this Jabez" who was son of James,"^ the writer 
will show that it was his son .Jabez* who married Mary Burbank. The 
writer is indebted to Mr. Henry S. Gorham* of Brooklyn, N. Y., and to 
Miss Louise Tracy of New Haven, Conn., for their assistance in gathering 
notes of the family in Connecticut and Nova Scotia. Their notes with his 
own collection do not find place for the following three brothers unless they 
w-ere the sons of Jabez" (James"^). 

Children : 

James,* m. Miriam Hull, Apr., 1714. 

Jabez, b. 1726; m. Mary Burbank, Nov. 15, 1750. 

David, m. Abigail Jackson, July 11. 1751. 

* The writer is under obligation to Mr. Gorham for the use of tlie Liverpool " Diary," 
subsequently mentioued. 



4. 


1, 


5. 


11. 


6. 


Ill 



4. James^ Gorham {Jabez,^ James,'^ John}) married Miriam Hull, in Fair- 
field, Conn., Apr., 1744, and died in Fairfield, Oct. 6, 1749. The 
will of his widow, Miriam, dated June 13, 1770, mentions only son 
Jabez^ and daughter Mary. 

Children, from Green's P'arms baptismal records : 
i. Mary.* 
ii. Jabez. 
ill. Mary. 

5. Jabez^ Gorham {Jabez,^ James,^ John^), according to the inscription 
upon his monument, was born in 1726, and died in 1806, aged 80. 
There is in the original book of records of Barnstable, Mass?, " the 
intention of marriage of Jabez Gorham, of Barnstable, and Mary 
Burbank, of Plymouth, September, 1750." The Plymouth records 
show that they were married Nov. 15, 1750. " Old Times in Liver- 
pool, Nova Scotia," by Robert R. McLeod, published in Acadiensis, 
Vol. IV, No. 2, gives on page 122 the following inscription from the 
Congregational cemetery in Liverpool : " Sacred to the memory of 
Jabez Gorham, who departed this life Dec. the 13th, 1806, in the 
80th year of his age." " Mr. Gorham was one of the first settlers, 
coming from Plymouth, Mass., with his wife and four children, to 
whom seven more were added in Liverpool, where the family was 
among the best." He went from Plymouth to Liverpool in 1760-1. 
It is stated in Acadiensis that the township of Liverpool was granted 
in 1759 to settlers from Plymouth, Chatham, Eastham, Kingston, 
Sandwich, and adjacent localities, and all of the names of the*gran- 
teesare printed, among them the name of Jabez* Gorham. "On one 
of his town lots he built a home, a quaint low-roofed structure with 
a tiny porch over the front door and a room on either side, a very 
small house for so large a family, but considered quite pretentious 
in those days. It has been recently taken down, and now a few old 
apple trees and some shrubbery are all that remain of the Gorham 
homestead in Liver]iool." A diary written by the great-granddaugh- 
ter* of Jabez-* and Mary (Burbank) Gorham contains important °e- 
cords of his children. She says : " From the Town Records and 
from the recollections of my mother, the only living grandchild of 
Jabez* Gorham, I have gathered the few facts that I send to you." 
This diary contains the following interesting item : "In 1771, nu- 
merous entries in the Town Records are of lands bought and sold by 
Jabez Gorham, Avhich became the business centre of the town of 
Liverpool. On the various deeds recorded is the signature of his 
wife Mary." Among important records recently sent to the writer 
by Robert R. McLeod, Esq., of Brookfield, Queen's Co., Nova Scotia, 
is the following inscription from the Congregational Church ceme- 
tery in Liverpool, N. S. : " In memory of Mrs. Mary, wife of Jabez 
Gorham, who departed this life September 11 th 1811, aged 81 years." 
According to Davis's " Landmarks of Plymouth," page 48, " she was 
the daugliter of Timothy Burbank and his wife Mercy Kempton. She 
was born in 1730." Mr. McLeod's list of the children of Jabez* and 
Mary (Burbank), copied from the Liverpool records, agrees exactly 
with the list copied from the " diary " previously mentioned. 

_*Mrs. Letitia (Baxter) Williams, daugliter of Mrs. ElizaS (Gorham) Baxter of 
Liverpool, Is. S., now living ased about 92 years, the widow of James Baxter and 
daughter of John^ Gorham (10). Mrs. Williams got her information from her mother 
and the Liverpool, X. S., records. 





IX. 




X. 


9. 


xi. 


10. 


xii 



Children : 

i. James,* b. in Plymouth (Plymouth records), July 23, 1751; d. in 

infancy, 
ii. Jabez, b. in Plymouth (Plymouth records), Sept. 13, 1753; d. in 

infancy, 
iii. Mary, b. in Plymouth (" Diary"), July 23, 1755 ; m. Dunlap, 

and had nine children, four sous and Ave daughters, mauy of whose 

descendants live at Sable River and other parts of Shelburne Co., 

Nova Scotia. 

7. iv. Jabez, b. May 14, 1756-7. 
V. Haxxah, b. Feb. 14, 1758-9 ; m. Coops ; lived in Milton, Nova 

Scotia ; had a large family. 

8. vi. James, b. Sept. 7, 1761. 
vii. Lucy, b. in Liverpool, N. S., Sept. 2, 1762; m. in 1782, James Mor- 
ton ; lived at Milton, Queen's Co., N. S. ; had five children : James, 
Jabez, Sylvanus, Lucy, and Melinda. The family of Sylvanus are 
numbered among the prominent business men of Milton. 

viii. Mekcy, b. Oct. 4, 1764 ; m. Dennis Freeman ; lived at Milton, N. S., 
where their numerous descendants may be found. 

Lydia (twin), b. July 5, 1767. 

Prince (twin), b. July 5, 1767; m. Jan. 7, 1796, Rebecca, dau. of 
John and Hannah Mullins; a son Thomas Freeman'' was b. at 
Liverpool, Oct. 29, 1796; tliey moved to the United States, where 
other sons were born. 

Isaac, b. July 13, 1769. 

JoHX, b. Sept. 29, 1771. 

David^ Goriiam (Jabez,^ James,'- John^), of Fairfield, Conn., chose 
• Jose2)h Gorham, of Fairfield, to be his guardian, Mar, .'), 1789. He 
bought land in Rochester, Mass., of Jonathan Lewis, Mar. 18, 1744. 
He married in Plymouth, July 11, 1751, Abigail, daughter of Na- 
thaniel and Rebecca (Poor) Jackson of Pl^'mouth. His name is on 
the public records of Liverpool, Nova Scotia, in 1761-2. 

Children, from the Old County Records of Liverpool* : 

Mary,^ b. at Plymouth, Jan. 20, 1752. 
i. Pexelope, b. at Plymouth, July 10, 1757. 
ii. Abigail, b. at Liverpool, July 11, 1760. 
11. iv. David, b. at Liverpool, Aug. 17, 1763. The Hist, of Norway, Me., 
is in error in stating that he was born in Halifax, N. S., on the 
same date that his birth is recorded in Liverpool.* 

7. Jabez^ Gorham (Jabez,* Jabez,^ James," Johii^) was born in Plymouth 
Co., Mass., May 14, 175G or 7. The family note in the "diary " 
says 1757, but the inscription upon his monument in the South 
Middleboro' Cemetery, near the Methodist meeting-house, is as fol- 
lows : "Jabez Gorham, died Dec. 2, 1830, age 74." He went to 
Liverpool, Nova Scotia, with his parents, in 1760-1, but returned 
and was a Revolutionary soldier from Plymouth. He bought land 
of Elisha Ruggles, in Rochester, Mass., Aug. 28, 1798. He married 
first, in Rochester, Nov. 2G, 1788, Abigail Tobey, who died Nov. 28, 
1808; married second, published July 27, 1811, Thankful Vaughn 
of Middleboro', who died June 7, 1817; and married third, Mrs. 
Desire Hewitt. His widow is mentioned in the settlement of his es- 
tate, Nov. 13, 1832. 

* Copied by Robert R. McLeod, Esq., who is a member of the N. E. Historic Genea- 
logical Societv. 



Children : 

i. Jabez,« b. iu Rochester, Mass., Dec. 31, 1797; d. Feb. G, 18G2; m. 

Ansf. 27, 1820, at New Bedford, Rebecca Standish, who was b. Aug. 

30,1801, and d. Jan. 18, 1843. 
ii. James, removed to Vergeunes, Vt. 

iii. Mercy, m. Bryant. 

iv. Sarah, m. Shurtleff. 

V. Mary, m. James Cole. 

8. James^ Gorham {Jahez,'^ Jabez,^ James,^ Johti^) was born iu Plj^mouth 

Co., Sept. 7, 1760-1 (family " Diary"). According to the inscrip- 
tion upon his monument in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, he died Aug. 5, 
1841, aged 80. He married, Aug. 15, 1787, Jedidah, daughter of 
Nehemiah Tracy of East Haddam, Conn., who was born Oct. 16, 
1762, and died May 19, 1849, They had no children. On the corner 
of Main and Gorham Street, in Liverpool, his house is still standing. 
On Gorham Street are the Congregational Church, the Temperance 
Hall, and the Grammar School, all endowed by him. Within Temper- 
ance Hall are hung fine oil portraits of him and his wife, and in front 
of the Hall they are buried. A College built on his property, and 
to which he was the largest douator. was called Gorham College. It 
was built in 1848, but was destroyed by fire five years later. Miss 
Ida S. Gorham of Englevvood, N. J., has a copy of his will. The 
writer is indebted to Dr. Dwight Tracy, of New York, for P^ast 
Haddam, Conn., notes on the family. 

9. IsAAC^ Gorham {Jahez,'^ Jabez,^ James,'^ Jo/m^) was born in Liverpool, 

Nova Scotia, July 13, 1769, and married Sept. 7, 1794, iu Liverpool, 
by Rev. John Payzant, Elizabeth, daughter of John and Mary Tonge. 
Children : 

i. Robert,*^ b. July 31, 1795; lost at sea. 

ii. Freeman, b. 1799; lost at sea. 

iii. Richard, b. 1800 ; d. 1863 ; went to Arichat when he was quite young, 
intending to live there, but his plans Avere changed and lie removed 
to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and became a prominent merchant, and 
his sons are well Ivuown business men of that city. His son 
John W.,^ h. iu 1844, is proprietor of tlie Jerusalem Warehouse in 
Halifax. 

iv. Edward, b. 1802 ; went away, and supposed to have been lost at sea. 

V. Hepsibah. m. (1) Henry Gardner, by whom she had one daughter; 
m. (2) Benjamin Davis. 

10. JoHN^ Gorham (Jabez,'^ Jahez,^ James," John^), born in Liverpool, Nova 
Scotia, Sept. 29, 1771, married, Sept. 29, 1795, Ilaunuh, daughter 
of Nathaniel and Hannah Freeman. He was a captain in the em- 
ploy of his brother James. ^ He died in 1826. 

Children : 

i. Nathaxiel,^ b. Sept. IG, 179G ; lost at sea, one of the crow of the ill- 
fated privateer liullo. 

ii. JoHX. 

iii. Matilda. 

iv. Frederick. 

v. Lewis. 

vi. Eliza, ** m. in 1846, James Baxter of Aberdeen, Scotland ; now living, 
aged about 92 yrs. 



jS ^D-9 4 



11. David^ Gorham [David,^ Jahez^ James j' John^), born in Liverpool, 
iVova Scotia, Aug. 17, 1763, married in Turner, Me., .June 16, 1791, 
Hannah Pratt of Middleboro', Mass. He died in Norway, Me., May 
29, 1834; and she died there Mar. 27, 1848, aged SO." He was a 
Revolutionary soldier from Plymouth Co. 

Children : 

i. David, 8 b. Mar. 3, 1792 ; m. Mary Gorham of Turner, Me. 

ii. Abigail, b. Mar. 3, 1792; m. Daniel Waterhouse. 

iii. Bexjamix, b. Dec. 3, 1794 ; d. Dec. 3, 1838. 

iv. Timothy, b. Nov. 10, 1800; d. Aug. 5, 1818. 

V. Lavixa, b. Apr. 19, 1803; m. Joseph Waterhouse of Poland, Me. 

vi. Levi B., b. June 21, 1805 ; m. Mary Hall. 

vii. Hannah, b. June 16, 1807; d. Jan. IG, 1829. 

viii. Solomon, b. Mar. 27, 1811; m. Rachel Reed. 

ix. Isaac, b. Nov. 9, 1812. 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

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